WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2962/98 by Angela SIERRA GONZÁLEZ COM in sub-tropical fruit
Date: 1998-10-08
Institutions: European Parliament, SIERRA GONZALEZ
Subjects: EU production, common organisation of markets, competitiveness, international competition, marketing, producer organisation, product quality, regulation of agricultural production, tropical fruit, utilised agricultural area













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91998E2962

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2962/98 by Angela SIERRA GONZÁLEZ COM in sub-tropical fruit  


Official Journal C 320 , 06/11/1999 P. 0019 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2962/98by Angela Sierra González (GUE/NGL) to the Commission(8 October 1998)Subject: COM in sub-tropical fruitIn some EU countries, particularly in regions with mild climates, sub-tropical fruits such as pineapples, papayas and mangos are being cultivated and are emerging as possible alternatives to the traditional crops in those areas, given their growing popularity with EU consumers and the likelihood of their increased consumption in the future.Does the Commission have figures for the number of hectares on which each of these crops is grown in the European Union? If so, what are they?Has the Commission considered the possibility of establishing a common organisation of the market specifically laying down arrangements for the production and marketing of "tropical fruits" in the Community, taking into account the factors of international competition with these crops and the possible expansion of the sector?Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission(30 October 1998)Article 1(2) of Council Regulation (EC) 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables(1) lists the products covered by the market organisation. These include the vast majority of tropical fruits: pineapples, papayas, and mangoes, as well as plantains, avocados, guavas, tamarinds, cashew apples, jackfruit, lychees, sapodillo plums, passion fruit, carambolas and pitahaya (these last being grouped under the heading "other fresh fruits").This means that producer organisations may already apply any specific regulatory measure to tropical fruits. Operational funds may be used for this purpose, whether for intervention (subject to the limits laid down by Regulation (EC) 2200/96) or for measures under operational programmes to improve quality, develop marketing or promote these products.The Commission therefore considers that the existing instruments provide an answer to the problems of regulating the production and marketing of tropical fruits.Furthermore, Regulation (EC) 2200/96 provides for the introduction of specific measures to increase competitiveness and promote certain products of great local importance and facing strong international competition where the normal instruments of the market organisation are inadequate or unsuitable.The Commission has no data other than those regularly published by the statistical offices of the various Member States and by Eurostat. There is little information on recent changes in the areas planted to tropical fruits and the quantities harvested. Apart from avocados and bananas, the tropical fruit most produced in the Community is pineapples, which amount to almost 40 000 tonnes (the equivalent of 1 300 hectares) in the French overseas departments (of which 75 % is accounted for by Martinique) and about 2 000 tonnes in Portugal. The production of mangoes (mainly in Réunion: 3 500 tonnes on 200 hectares) and papayas is still only marginal.(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996.